Hand in Hand
by LavenderBoots
Summary: High school student Chihiro Ogino is given the task of tutoring the strange, sad boy that everyone calls No-Face; but will barriers prevent them from understanding one another? A tale filled with many hiccups, a slow-starting friendship, possibilities of love, and of course, a masquerade. Drabbles and oneshots. Chihiro, No-Face (Kaonashi), Haku & beloved Spirited Away friends. AU
1. Chapter 1, Dramatics

**Disclaimer:** _All Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

_The Princess Bride_ and its script are properties of William Goldman; I own nothing!

**Summary:**_ High school student Chihiro Ogino is given the task of tutoring the strange, sad boy that everyone calls No-Face; but will barriers prevent them from understanding one another? A tale filled with many hiccups, a slow-starting friendship, possibilities of love, and of course, a masquerade._

* * *

**Dramatics**

Chihiro Ogino, was an exceptional student. At the moment however, she was not demonstrating her abilities at all; she was too engrossed in her daydream ensconced doodles. Although she heard the teacher speak, she wasn't really listening. Therefore, it was understandable when she didn't budge from her seat as the class was dismissed, and every one packed up to leave. She also made it far too easy to be snuck up on. With a quick dance of fingers along her exposed ribs, a boy shouted, "Boo!"

Chihiro shrieked, wrenching herself from his grasp, realizing too late that the movement caused her pen to drag over her creation.

"Hakuuuu, look what you did!" she cried in dismay. The picture of the dragon was ruined. She had intended it as a gift for her friend; he was obsessed with the mythical creatures, and Chinese Lungs were his favourite. But now a long, black zigzag marked the dragon's eye to his tail. Thin brows furrowed and Chihiro's lower lip stuck out; eying her friend accusingly.

Raising his hands in surrender, he tried not to laugh at her childish pout. Instantly reserving his facial expressions, as only he could, Haku gave a formal apology.

"I, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, am prepared to take full responsibility for the wrong I have committed." Then he took Chihiro's pen in hand with a flourish and dramatically plunged it into his armpit. He clutched his heart for good measure, as he collapsed into a desk chair, and went limp. Chihiro lifted an eyebrow unimpressed; was that it? She leaned forward to inspect her fallen comrade and jumped when Haku gasped noisily, pitching his arms and legs into the air before expelling, "Goodbye, cruel word!" Effectively 'dying' again; this time his tongue stuck out of the corner of his mouth. Chihiro giggled in spite of herself and clapped at the performance.

"I, Ogino Chihiro, accept your sacrifice; but not your apology."

"What? Why?" Haku sat back up, straightening his school uniform and quirking an eyebrow. She looked at him stoically, all traces of patience gone. Suddenly perking up; eyes glittering, he grabbed her hand and crowed, "I know what it takes to make you forgive me!" Chihiro eyed him skeptically. With a smirk he leaped from the desk chair and bent down so that green eyes met grey ones, "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!" Chihiro's face lit up; quoting her favourite movie could only mean one thing. Laughing she released his grip, to put away her things, before meeting him at the door.

"You keep using that word; I do not think it means what you think it means," she retorted, as was their custom. Beaming at their renewed friendship, neither of them noticed the sad face watching from the window as they left the room, arm in arm.

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August 7, 2013

Words: 475

**Author's Note:**

Why hello there. I have decided against my better judgment to start this fanfic, because once the idea came to me I simply could not let it go. Whether I was cooking, showering, driving, or attempting to sleep, thoughts, images, conversations, and people echoed in my head; begging me to tell their story. So now, here we are. I plan to keep every chapter short, (meaning not exceeding 800 words) and they will more than likely not be continuous, as I flit from concept, to concept. If my breadcrumbs leave you wanting, please leave me a review or a PM, and I will gladly answer your questions.

Thank you for reading! I would love to hear from you.

Take care,

Boots


	2. Chapter 2, Introductions

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Introductions**

The entire student body had a loose version of study hall for their first and last periods of the day, it was dubbed homeroom by the teachers and chillax-time by the students. Most used these two hours of the day finishing up homework, texting, eating, or just chit-chatting with friends. Usually, during this time Chihiro was pressed into giving her peers pointers on how to fake their reading assignment for history, hints onto which body parts might be on the daily anatomy pop quiz, or tutoring in math and linguistics. She didn't mind, not really. Chihiro had always been popular. She had plenty of people in her class to talk to, but no one she actually considered a friend; save for Haku. Too bad they no longer shared homeroom. They had been inseparable, ever since he jumped into a river to save her shoe during a field trip in the first grade. She smiled at the memory, wriggling her feet beneath her desk. Looking around at all the animated faces, she noted that everyone was in groups of two or three. It was their first day back from a two-week vacation, so no one had homework they needed help with; and no one had invited her to join them.

To distract herself she looked out at the rain sloshing against the window. Tracing the rivulets that glided in threaded streams down the pane, she imagined they were dancing. It must be pouring, she realized absently. The force of the rain was so strong there were no individual drops, just rivers cascading from the sky. Again her thoughts returned to Haku. As if on cue, her cell phone vibrated in her pack.

* * *

Sender: Kohaku River :)

Time Sent: 8:46

Miss me?

Time Recieved: 8:46

* * *

Smiling down at the pink phone, she replied a cheery 'Good morning!' and tried to ignore the way her heart thumped. He's my friend, no reason to get all riled up over a text. She knew the exact moment feelings came along, one second they were mocking each other in drama class, tittering over the idiocy that was Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," and the next thing she knew they were tasked to play the very characters they despised. Haku had rolled his eyes at her behind the teacher's back, but all the same, played the part beautifully. Not willing to be outdone, Chihiro rose up to the challenge. When Haku spoke words of another's hand so passionately, she forgot herself. Wrapped in his arms, looking up at that beautiful face, she wondered when he had grown so tall. Snatched out of her thoughts when her phone hummed gently, tickling her palm, Chihiro blushed furiously. He had always been a bit of a mind reader; could he guess her thoughts now? I hope not, she gulped.

* * *

Sender: Kohaku River :)

Time Sent: 8:47

Good Morning! Hey did you get one?

Time Recieved: 8:48

* * *

Get one? That's a weird phrase, even for Haku. She tapped out her two worded question, 'One what?' Just then a hush fell over the room. Well, most of the room. Some students, like Chihiro, had their eyes glued to their phones. A cringe-worthy scrape sounded, and all eyes turned to the front, where the principal raked her nails over the chalkboard. Turning with a large flashy smile of huge square teeth, she waved her hands dramatically. Twenty-three gazes followed her outstretched gesture.

"Welcome your new classmate, this is Mattaku Kaonishi."

A tall young man, all dressed in black, stood dripping on the tile by the doorway. His inky hair was plastered to his head. His face, or what was visible of it, was indecipherable; like a mask.

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August 7, 2013

Words: 610

**Author's Note:**

Kaonashi literally means No-Face. I never knew that before; thanks google! Anyway for the purpose of this fic I changed a letter; yes it was intentional.

Thanks for reading, I would love to hear from you!

Take care,

Boots


	3. Chapter 3, Whispers

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Whispers**

It didn't take long for the rumors to start. Like always, girls would flock to him at first, eager to meet a new face. He would bow politely, but offer no conversation. He gave no outward desire to get to know them, not that he didn't want to. Soon enough it didn't matter that he had a pretty face; once they realized it had only one expression. Most people gave the stoic youth a wide berth. The teachers were accommodating, but in a matter of days students began to shun him. Kaonishi, was in his seat, studying his peers. He noticed that although the desks were supposed to be in even rows, the ones nearest him were markedly out of pattern, out of reach; like always. Exhaling a deep breath from his nose, his gaze once again rested on a chestnut ponytail. The girl was twiddling the light brown hair around her fingertip as she bent her head over a pupil's work. The smile she gave to the one beside her was warm and welcoming. He wondered if it was her hair that caught his attention, or her smile.

* * *

Walking to his bike, he waited patiently for his sister. He spotted her coming out of the building's doors in a gaggle of girls, laughing and yammering on about something or other. She was a year younger, but unlike him, she had no problems blending in. As the girls approached the bike racks, many stopped when they spotted Kaonishi. Lowering his eyes, he bowed politely before moving out of their way. His shoulders rose minutely, he could feel their stares into his back. He walked with his eyes on his feet. Maybe waiting by the school gates would be a better idea. A hard shove, threw him off balance, and he toppled over his bike; landing face first in the mud. Slowly, deliberately, he pushed himself off of the ground, and disentangled his long legs from his bike. He would be bruised tomorrow. With a dirty sleeve, he attempted to wipe the mud from his eyes, and looked up to see a guy from his class leering at him.

"What a creepy little bastard you are. It's like you never change, I bet beneath that pretty mask you actually have no face!" The guy looked like a toad, Kaonishi thought. He was squat and broad shouldered, with thin lips, a flat nose and bulgy eyes. "You don't belong here!"

"Hey Ugly!" Toadboy turned, surprised to see a bike rolling down the hill towards him. It bashed into him with a satisfying crash and Koanishi heard Rin whoop in triumph. He had to admit, she had good aim.

Sputtering curses a now redfaced toadboy leaped up from the ground, he glared murderously at Koanishi, who only stared passively back. "Why I oughta…" He raised his fist, expecting the newcomer to flinch, but Kaonishi never budged. "You are all kinds of unnatural," he said dropping his hand and shaking his head, a grimace of disgust on his face. Watching him walk away, Kaonishi took a deep breath. Then he bent over in an attempt to pick up both bikes. Rin ran to him, helping with the load.

"Hey, you ok?" She looked at his face, but he averted his gaze. She had always been able to read him like an open book; just because he wasn't as expressive as the rest of them, didn't mean it wasn't there. Rin bit her lip and gave his cheek a pat. "Don't worry. They just need to get to know you. It won't be like last time."

"Uh-uh," He agreed; though it was only for her benefit. Of course it would be like last time, it always was.

* * *

August 7, 2013

Words: 611

**Author's note:**

I've always loved No-Face. Sure he got a little misguided and ate a lot of people at one point, but hey it's not really his fault right?

As always, thank you for reading, I would love to hear from you!

Boots


	4. Chapter 4, Brains

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Brains**

Being smart was frustrating. Everyone, relied on you, expected things from you, and basically put you on a pedestal. Chihiro was tired of it. That's why she wasn't exactly in the most receptive mood when her homeroom professor asked her to stay behind after class. Packing up her notebooks, pencils, and pens, she wondered what this week's pep talk would be like. Her university choices hadn't been filled out yet and she was dreading another talk about her future. She liked school, she just wasn't sure she wanted more of it. When everything was packed, she double checked to be sure, and then rearranged all of her zippers to one side of her bag.

"I know you're stalling. Come here dear."

"Yes, Zeniba-sensei." She should have been embarrassed about being caught, but in truth, it had been painfully obvious. Her teacher was one of the nicest instructors in the school, and that made Zeniba-sensei one of her favorites; that still didn't make her look forward to this talk. Walking up to the big oak desk, she kept her eyes down and fingered the wood grain. The swirled pattern looked like eyes.

"I have a request to make of you dear, and a job opportunity."

"A job?" No pep talk then. Interest piqued, she looked into the wizened teachers face. She politely kept her eyes trained on her instructor's, ignoring the fleshy pink wart between her brows. A wide smile met her probing gaze.

"Yes, a parent called today and asked if we have any tutors available. I recommended you."

"Me?" At the teachers nod,she brightened and bowed. "Thank you! What an honor."

"You still have to interview dear." Zeniba laughed, "but I'm glad you are enthusiastic."

"Who would the interview be with? Who needs a tutor?"

* * *

August 7, 2013

Words: 291

**Author's note:**

Oh my, whomever could need a tutor? Should I start including the songs that inspire my chapters or do you not care? I'm just curious.

As always thank you for reading, I would love to hear from you!

Boots

P.S. To **Abcdefg824**: A Horrible Haiku

Dear first reviewer,

Thank you so much for the love!

I wrote this for you.


	5. Chapter 5, Bite Your Tongue

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Bite Your Tongue**

Sitting in the expansive foyer, Chihiro suddenly felt very small. At first the prospect of helping someone was exciting. After making her way to the mansion sized home just on the outskirts of town; the idea of personally tutoring someone her own age, let alone in her class, was supremely awkward. It was different in class, she didn't have to worry about stepping on toes or being impatient because they were around her in a group, they came willingly. Still, it would look good on a résumé, and besides she needed something to occupy her free time. Ever since Haku got a job at a bakery, she was left lonely during weekday afternoons. Mrs. Mattaku came out with a steaming cup of hot chocolate, and invited her to the dining room to discuss her qualifications, and what exactly her job times, and pay would be. Being around the silent classmate would never had prepared Chihiro for his parent's elegance and charm. Like Audrey Hepburn from "Breakfast at Tiffany's," Mrs. Mattaku positively oozed style and grace. She found it very difficult to listen to the words as the speaker's cadence drawled with the qualities of a 50's starlet. "It's really not their fault you know, my darlings are exceptionally bright. I'm afraid, Mr. Mattaku travels quite frequently for work, and my poor dears have been to no less than five schools, this year alone." She pouted her full lips in dismay.

Chihiro's eyebrows pulled into a look of concern on their own accord and she felt herself nodding, "Of couse, it is completely understandable. Anyone in their position would undoubtedly fall behind."

"And that is where you come in of course, to bring them back to pace." Mrs. Mattaku's lips lifted into a smirk and her expression seemed almost challenging.

Chihiro gulped, straightening her posture, she answered confidently, "Of course."

"Wonderful, then let's get the introductions out of the way." She clapped her hands and bounded out of her seat. Chihiro looked on stunned.

"You mean I-I got the job?"

"Don't stutter dear, and I don't see why not. Honey, do you have any objections?"

"Not at all," he rumbled, placing a hand on his wife's waist. Geez but they were a gorgeous couple, Chihiro thought. Both were tall and though they had fine lines around their eyes they didn't look a day over 30. Mrs. M was winsome with a face shaped like a peach, and bottle blonde, shoulder-length hair. Mr. M had an athletic build with just the slightest pooch over his waistband, and his black hair was slicked back in a 1920's style; she half expected him to pull out a smoking jacket and light a pipe. These people belonged in a Great Gatsby movie. A hand at her arm, alerted her that Mr. Mattaku was leading her back to the entryway.

"…love it if you start tomorrow, let me just get my loves." Shaking herself out of her thought, she briefly caught the end of a sentence as Mrs. M sashayed her heeled feet down the hallway. Seconds later she reappeared with Kaonishi and a girl Chihiro didn't recognize. "Miss Chihiro Ogino, this is my beloved daughter Rin, she is a year younger, and a grade lower than you. I do hope that won't be a problem?"

"No of course not, I..."

"Wonderful!" Mrs. M didn't skip a beat. Maybe this was why Kaonishi never bothered to talk, Chihiro wondered dryly. "I am sure you know, my handsome boy, Kaonishi," she gushed. Chihiro felt herself blushing at the overzealous treatment, and stuck a hand out towards the younger girl. She had a sweet face like her mother's but instead of golden blonde; she had light brown hair that matched her eyes.

Taking her hand firmly and shaking it with enthusiasm, Rin gave her a broad smile, "It's so nice to meet you. I look forward to learning a lot with you." Chihiro reiterated the sentiment and turned her gaze on her classmate. She had never fully studied him before. His glossy hair was black as a raven's wings, and it's short, shaggy-length framed his face; his creamy, fair skin looked smooth as porcelain. Not a blemish or a freckle in sight. Dark brown eyes were fringed with thick long lashes; she had assumed the mother was wearing falsies, but if they shared that enviable trait then, she probably wasn't. They were so black that had she not been so up close, she would have thought he wore eyeliner. His mother spoke the truth, he was handsome. He could almost be a male Snow White, except for the lips red as blood of course. Without meeting her gaze, he extended a large hand; she took it politely, it was surprisingly warm. In complete opposition of his sister, his grasp was light, and gentle; after a quick shake, he released her. He must be shy. Trying to break the ice with humor, Chihiro leaned forward conspiratorially, "What's the matter, cat got your tongue?" As if she had just shouted an expletive, all eyes zeroed in on her, and silence fell. Chihiro straightened, noting the now icy atmosphere. Rin gaped, the M's were clutching each other and staring at her in wide-eyed horror, Kaonishi had stiffened but didn't look her way. "Wh, what'd I say?"

The first one to break the spell was Mrs. M, she threw back her shoulders and sniffed delicately, "I thought you were aware of the situation, being classmates and all."

"A-aware of what?" a growing sense of dread made her stomach roll uneasily, it appeared as though she had just made a grave mistake. When the M's didn't answer, Chihiro looked to the sister.

"Kao is mute." Rin deadpanned. She looked defensive and angry, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. Kaonishi placed a calming hand on Rin's shoulder, and when she looked up at him, he shrugged. An unspoken communication passed between them. Rin relaxed her stance, but she still looked pissed when she glared at Chihiro. Chihiro paled and looked up at Kaonishi's face, his expression remained neutral, like a carefully displayed mask. But when he met her stare, her throat choked up; never before had she seen anyone with eyes that sad. Chihiro's tan skin flushed a deep shade of magenta, and she dropped his gaze.

Bowing apologetically to all the members of the Mattaku family, she said, "I meant no disrespect, I, I'll go now."

"I think that would be best," Mrs. Mattaku said evenly. She stepped past her children and opened the door. As Chihiro stepped out, she said one last thing; "Please do me a favor and tell your instructor, I am still looking for a tutor. Good Night." The words were soft, casually spoken, but cut deeply. Chihiro nodded on the step and the door closed.

Walking to the car, driving home, brushing her teeth, and mechanically getting ready for bed, five little words stormed through her brain: I am such an ass.

* * *

August 12, 2013

Words: 1165

**Author's Note:**

I wrote the premise for this forever ago, but then I lost the napkin that it was written on. I finally found it. It was in my car, stuffed in the cup holder, exactly where I thought it'd be. Sorry. Also this is wayyyy longer than I intended. I want to say don't get used to it, but if you've read my other fic, you may know my love affair with words.

As always thank you for reading; I hope to hear from you.

Take care,

Boots


	6. Chapter 6, Bury it Deep

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Bury it Deep**

Kaonishi had never wanted to be ashamed of the inability to speak. His parents on the other hand treated it like a secret; something that went unspoken both literally and figuratively. His mother hated weakness, hated disorder, hated anything that was abnormal. While never making him feel unwanted, she always made him feel unworthy. She probably never meant to, but she did it anyway. His first nanny taught him sign-language, and in turn taught his sister. His father begrudgingly learned as well, if only to be able to communicate with his son. His mother never tried. She taught him the alphabet, and he was reading by age three. Once he was able to communicate with small broken sentences, she gave him a little dry erase board and markers. How he hated that board. Having to walk around with it made him feel like an outcast. They would be out he would see something new. Swiping a finger over his palm he would motion "What is this," and she would ignore. He would continue until she chastised him, handed him his board and told him to use his words.

As he grew older, he came to better understand his mother. She feared for him. In this clockwork world of symmetry, any cogs that didn't fit just right would be cast off. He had gone to hundreds of doctors, tried all kinds of alternative medicines, even a surgery or two, nothing helped. Something about his muscles and his withered vocal cords not being able to vibrate, gave him the inability to create sound. He couldn't hum, he couldn't laugh, he couldn't sing, he could never speak. Therefore it had been a great blow to his mother's ego when Rin had spoken the truth so plainly. Over the course of his past eighteen years, Kaonishi had never actually heard the words out load. But somehow it had sounded so right. He had been proud of his sister, but his parent's and her reaction quickly showed that again he was feeling something wrong. His skeleton had tap-danced out of its closet with a great big musical number and he had to shove it back in again.

With a sigh, he pulled himself out of his thoughts and tried to get back into his Biology text. The big midterm test was coming up in two weeks and if he didn't pass this exam, he wouldn't pass the course. Maybe it was time he took his life into his own hands.

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August 12, 2013

Words: 415

**Author's Note:**

Yay for first No-Face-centric entry! BTW yes I know that with help of electronic things that stimulate vocal chords K would be able to speak, but that would again single him out which we all know Mama M can't handle very well.

As always, thank you for reading. I would love to hear from you! Send me reviews please!

Take care,

Boots


	7. Chapter 7, Guilt Trip

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

* * *

**Guilt Trip**

The morning light had yet to stream through the streaky windows. A thin layer of filmy dried soap kept the view from its full potential. I first saw her through these windows. With a quavering heart Kaonishi approached the desk; at the moment it was unoccupied, but like clockwork, he knew she would be the first to arrive. So he stood; a sentinel in the gloom of another cold morning. The unspoken promise of an early riser had the ponytail swinging jauntily, a flush stained her cheeks and a smile furling her lips. She doesn't see me yet; of that he was certain. Chihiro had been avoiding him the way dust bunnies evade a vacuum; silent and still, hoping that the vacuum ignores them too. He acknowledged her wish, at first, but he was very behind and his frustrations made him desperate. And it wasn't like anyone else bothered to interview for the position.

He knew the instant she spotted him. Her shoulders hunched, as she curled in on herself, withering beneath his gaze. Trying to look welcoming he attempted a smile. The corners of his lips lifted incrementally, the effect was mocking at best. Chihiro gulped and twiddled her fingers in the semblance of a wave, "H-hello," she greeted inclined his head, repeating the small finger-flutter gesture. "Did you need something?"

Kaonishi felt oddly at ease with her. His mouth parted of its own accord and he would have given one of the small utterances that were his only success at speech, but someone else walked into the room and he lost his courage. With a breath of defeat he returned to his seat. Therefore it was with great surprise that after he sat down he watched Chihiro drop her things by her desk before making her way to his. He had never been approached with good intentions before so he tried not to fidget as he quelled his nerves deep in his chest. She stood awkwardly for a few heartbeats and then chose to take a seat directly in front of him, and swiveled around to look at him face to face. He noticed that whether or not she had meant to, she managed to use both the back of the chair seat and his desk as a barrier between them.

"Can I help you with something?" the question was the same as earlier. When he didn't move, she gave him a tight lipped smile, "You must have ridden your bike pretty fast to get here so early." The observation was non-committal, merely a vise for conversation; but it left him feeling the tiniest bit less hollow. He decided to test her. With a fluttering of long nimble fingers he asked her a simple question. Her bafflement sufficed as an answer. Holding up a finger, he measured her eyes in a silent plea for her to wait. Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a folder and a sheet of lined paper. He handed her the folder indicating that she should open it. Chihiro looked at him questioningly before taking a peek inside. Her mouth dropped. Each assignment was littered with giant red X's and he had too many zeroes to count. Looking back up at him she saw a red flush creeping up his neck and pooling into his normally pale white cheeks. Without looking at her he picked up the piece of paper and scribbled something on it before passing it her way.

Chihiro watched entranced as slender fingers moved with an elegance that his tongue could not. Biting her own at the thought, she fought the urge to reprimand herself. The writing was beautiful, Chihiro wished he had written more, just so she could study his script but all he had fashioned were three words: Tutor me, please?

* * *

August 12, 2013

Words: 636

**Author's Note:**

August 21, 2013 (upload date)

Wahhhhh, I just realized I never uploaded this, which means all of the stuff I've been working on doesn't make sense! I'm sorry, I'm a goofball. I'm going to go hide in a corner in shame now.

Thank you for reading. Please review.

Take care,

Boots


	8. Chapter 8, Speak my Language

**Disclaimer:** All _Spirited Away_ characters belong to Hayao Miyazaki; I renounce all rights and responsibilities.

Although I thought I made it abundantly clear here are the songs anyways.

_"Sweet Dreams," _Eurythmics

_"We Got the Beat,"_ The Go-Go's

_"Like a G6,"_ Far East Movement

* * *

**Speak my Language**

Chihirio loved running. The rhythmic pounding of feet on pavement, the swish of fabric as her sleeves brushed against her ribs with each swing of arms, the way her ponytail would make her head sway gently from side to side; all this sent her into a meditative state, so relaxing and taxing all at once. She relished her weekend mornings when she would unearth her shoes, strap in, plug into an IPod and go. Blushing with enthusiasm, she made sure that her ear buds were tucked into her ears, secured under her headband. She had learned the hard way that listening to yourself breathe and feeling the thudding of your heartbeat in your ears only made things more difficult. Catching a glimpse at her wristwatch, she smiled. Only 5:30, plenty of time to go for at least four miles and be back before 7:00. Sure she may run like a herd of turtles wading through molasses but at least she had stamina. Grabbing the water bottle, and hitting shuffle, she stretched in her front lawn before taking off at a leisurely pace. The sun was just cracking its eye over the world, and she breathed in the fresh morning seaside air. The tang of the salt water and the additional morning dew made the perfect background for the hypnotizing beats of the Eurythmics. Sweet dreams indeed.

Eyes glazed over as feet followed their familiar path, sidestepping memorized stones and bounding over sidewalk cracks. She may as well have been blindfolded; her entire trip was made through muscle memory alone. Her heart took up the beat of the music and her hips and shoulders oscillated gently in time. Though she was bundled up like an arctic traveler, Chihiro reveled in the numbing feeling of Jack Frost's breathy kisses over her cheeks and nose. Beads of sweat slid down her spine and it tingled with a triumphant tickle. Most people hated to sweat; Chihiro took it as a silent testament to all her hard work. The taste of mint toothpaste and her breakfast banana lingered in her mouth and she automatically took a swig of ice-water, all without missing a step. The song changed to a catchy tune and her feet began to move in a different tempo as The Go-Go's, "We Got the Beat" thudded through her mind. Head bobbing in time, she couldn't help but smile as the infectious brightness flooded her soul. The sun matched her happiness, and rose incrementally higher in the sky. Though the change wasn't drastic, it brought the light right in her path and she tilted her neck, to enjoy the warmth on her face. Closing her eyes, the orange brightness filtered through her lids and she smiled hugely. What a beautiful morning!

* * *

By now Kaonishi was comfortable enough with the geography of the little seaside town to go out on his own and get the weekly groceries. He always made sure to be up bright and early to make it to the markets when they opened at 6:00 on weekends. All the best produce was available then, and since it was a Saturday most were not awake yet, and he could go around at his leisure without having to ignore the poignant stares of passerby. Grabbing his sister's bike caddy and hooking it onto his own, he yawned in silence. Blinking stray tears from his eyes, he quickly rubbed them and pushed back the kickstand. It was a bit chilly but he figured that by the time he got down to the coastal marketplace, the sun would have popped up a little more. Kaonishi liked mornings. The silence was comfortable, normal, and it never made him feel the sting of knowing what he couldn't have. With that brooding thought in mind he slipped into a perfected expression of neutrality. His breath caused little clouds to puff up around him and he gently blew out a stream of air. Cool.

The woman who owned the vegetable stand was friendly enough. She like all the others assumed he was deaf because he never spoke. In this one instance he didn't mind because she spoke sign language. They would have happy, pointless conversations about organic tomatoes and when he was going to meet her teenage daughter. Since most venders had barely set up shop, only the local restaurant chefs and insomniacs were shopping at this hour. The vegetable lady, they had never actually exchanged names, offered to walk him around and help him get the rest of his groceries. She communicated how many avocadoes and what kind of fish he was looking for as he stood by holding everything up. He walked back and forth from stall to stall and back to his bike, so he wouldn't risk dropping anything. By the time they finished up with most of his purchases, and the vegetable lady had gotten all her morning gossip, it was just after 6:30 and more and more people were crowding onto the wharf. He waved cheerily at her and pressed his fingers to his lips in thanks when she suddenly grabbed his arm. "Hold on Sonny, were we just talking about tomatoes this morning, or were you actually going to buy some?" His eyebrows lifted minutely and he cocked his head. "Yeah, yeah, I know you can read lips."

With lips quirked, he signed, "I would love to purchase some." She nodded and pulled him along. Speaking of recipes for spaghetti sauce, salsa, breakfast quiche, salads, and all sorts of things she would bring for him next week she loaded up a paper bag with several pounds of red and green fruits. Big, small, red, green, round, oblong, and heart-shaped, she gave him loads of tomatoes. When he pulled out his wallet to pay, he watched her slip a few more cherry tomatoes into his pack. He had indicated that those were his favourites. Feighning ignorance he gave her one of his rare full smiles. She blushed and told him to visit next Saturday. As he turned away he heard her mutter something about making her daughter mind the stand next week. Rolling his eyes, he simply held up a hand in goodbye and made the short journey to his now top-heavy bike. It's nice to make a friend. He saw toadboy from the other day and his smile shrank until he appeared blank as usual. The toad stuck his tongue out but otherwise ignored him. Taking a breath of relief Kaonishi decided to take a detour to his bike. This brought him directly beside the water but he didn't mind. As he continued, he noticed that a canal that fed into the ocean blocked his movement forward. Not wanting to backtrack he spotted a bridge a little closer to the shoreline.

Stepping onto the bridge he looked over. The sea was calm and there wasn't a rock in sight, in fact the sea was almost on the bridge, it lapped at the underside the way a cat would its milk bowl and he stopped and listened to the gentle sounds of the waves. I wouldn't want to be here during high tide. Oh wait, maybe it is high tide. Confused, he stepped closer to the red-wooded railing. It was relatively low, below his hipline so he could easily lean over to inspect the glassy surface of the salt-water. He could taste the brine in the air. Curoisity took over, he had never touched the ocean; he reached out, carefully balancing his bag on the rail, and stretched out a long arm to trail it along the water. It didn't feel any different, maybe thicker he thought. Mother would have a conniption. He quickly straightened, and wiped wet fingers against his jeans.

* * *

Chihiro was just changing songs. She was about to hit the bridge, so she wanted to get something more upbeat to help her with the last uphill trek back home. Picking a "Like a G6," by Far East Movement, she closed her eyes and took a moment to simply sway to the beat, singing along. No one was around to hear this early, and she didn't care how stupid she sounded because she couldn't hear herself either, laughing at the beat she swung her ponytail like a helicopter and shook her ass. Making swimming movements with her arms, she skipped onto the bridge. She was so entranced in her stupid dance, eyes on her feet so that without warning she rammed against something, hard. Bouncing back, her eyes flew open and she carefully tucked her head into her arms, stifling a cry. She rolled harmlessly to the side and just caught herself on the railing before progressing to the sea. Startled she looked around but nothing was there. Looking left and right, she felt goosebumps pebble her skin. With a grimace she picked herself up and dusted herself off; taking one more look around she decided to get off the bridge quickly. Already her fertile mind conjured up images of trolls that lived under bridges intending to eat maidens, kappas that would steal girls for their concubines, water witches waiting to curse young women, and evil sirens that would drown passerby with a song. Running helter-skelter, she quickly disappeared down an alleyway and hurried home.

If Chihiro had plucked up the courage to peer over the bridge, she would have seen a spluttering Kaonishi; hanging onto the bridge for dear life, fighting off seagulls, while trying to rescue his floating fruits.

* * *

August 12, 2013

Words: 1579

**Author's Note:**

Sorry ladies and gents; I'd love to say that I was off on an epic quest, fighting a dragon or eating house sized strawberries. However, the sad truth is, \ I've just been lazy. Lazy, lazy lazy, with a bit of writer's block to chew on. So, here's this drabble. For those of you who follow my other fanfic, **Not Such A Dream Afterall**, I will be posting a couple chapters very soon. And yes, I have another chapter for **Checkers,**my** NSADA **outtake, to post. Its very ugly and needs some polish, and spit-shine but once I can read it without cringing, or redo it altogether, I'll put it up.   


As always thank you for reading, I would love to hear from you. (AKA let me know what you think!)

Take care,

Boots


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